IT'S GAME TIME IN THIS SILICON VALLEY SUBURB. BUT THIS ISN'T LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL. THESE BOYS ARE PLAYING CRICKET.

(NATSOT: Kids cheering)

(SOT/Rahul Jariwala, Cricket player)

"If we pick up our pace on runs, yes, I'm determined to win this game."

(NAT SOT: Whack - batter hitting ball)

(VOICE-OVER)

BASEBALL MAY BE AMERICA'S PASTIME. BUT CRICKET IS GAINING POPULARITY IN COMMUNITIES WITH LARGE NUMBERS OF SOUTH ASIAN IMMIGRANTS.

(SOT/Mihir Jariwala, Cricket player's father)

"It's a huge, huge, huge excitement because not only do I get to watch the game of cricket at this level. But also to see my son play and do what we used to do as kids is fantastic."

(VOICE-OVER)

IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, KIDS ARE LEARNING THE SPORT AT THE CALIFORNIA CRICKET ACADEMY. IT WAS STARTED 10 YEARS AGO BY A COUPLE WHO WANTED THEIR SONS TO LEARN THE GAME.

(SOT/Kinjal Buch, Co-founder of California Cricket Academy:

("There were forty adult teams here but none for the youth. That's when we thought if the youth want to get in the game, they really need to learn the game."

(NAT-SOT: Parents yelling "good job"

(VOICE-OVER)

MOST OF THE FAMILIES COME FROM INDIA AND PAKISTAN, WHERE CRICKET IS A NATIONAL OBSESSION.

(SOT/Hemant Buch, co-founder of the California Cricket Academy)

"They not only grow up watching cricket in their home because their parents are watching some international games. So that is what they watch and then they get excited about it."

(SOT/ Rishi Arjun, 11, cricket player from Santa Clara)

"I just enjoy playing cricket, and I like the rules compared to baseball."

(SOT/Kanika Vohra, mother of cricket player Rishi Arjun)

"I can't believe he's playing cricket here. It's so exciting. He talks to his cousins in india who are playing every game, like basketball, baseball. and he's here playing cricket, which is very exciting."